|
| Author/year | Region | Number of participants | Age range/mean (years) | Intervention | Treatment duration | Outcome measures | Follow-up duration | TCM pattern differentiation |
|
| Wang and Yang 1999 [12] | China | Q: 52
C: 50 | 7–45 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: cholinesterase inhibitors + glucocorticoid | 24 months | ① + ② | 24 months | No |
| Jiang and Liu 2003 [13] | China | Q: 33
C: 33 | Q: 36.5
C: 35 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: immunosuppressant | 12–24 months | ① + ③ | Not mentioned | No |
| Kaminski 2003 [14] | China | Q: 60
C: 30 | 20–61 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: pyridostigmine | 9 months | ① + ② | 6 months | No |
| Zhang 2006 [15] | China | Q: 87
C: 53 | 3–16 (9.6) | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone | 4 months | ① + ② + ③ | 12 months | No |
| Zhang and Yang 2006 [16] | China | Q: 28
C: 28 | Q: 31.1
C: 32.2 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone | 6 months | ① | Not mentioned | No |
| Lu 2007 [17] | China | Q: 20
C: 20 | Q: 10–53
C: 15–49 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: glucocorticoid + pyridostigmine | 12 months | ① | Not mentioned | Yes |
| Ouyang 2007 [18] | China | Q: 30
C: 30 | Q: 28.2
C: 27.5 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone + pyridostigmine | 10–12 months | ① | Not mentioned | No |
| Zhang et al. 2007 [19] | China | Q: 76
C: 75 | 1.5–12 (6.8) | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone + pyridostigmine | 4.5–6 months | ① + ② | 12 months | No |
| Yang 2008 [20] | China | Q: 28
C: 28 | Q: 9–69
C: 8–70 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone + pyridostigmine | 3 months | ① | 3 months | Yes |
| Niu 2009 [21] | China | Q: 30
C: 30 | Q:
C: | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone + pyridostigmine + placebo | 3 months | ① | Not mentioned | Yes |
| Lv and Xu 2010 [22] | China | Q: 26
C: 26 | Q: 12–60
C: 10–58 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone | 3–6 months | ① | 3 months | Yes |
| Xu 2011 [23] | China | Q: 31
C: 31 | 39–73 (62.5) | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone + pyridostigmine | ≥4.5 months
| ① + ② + ③ | 12 months | No |
| Wang et al. 2012 [24] | China | Q: 30
C: 30 | 20–60 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: pyridostigmine | 6 months | ① | Not mentioned | Yes |
| Jiang et al. 2013 [25] | China | Q: 30
C: 30 | Q: 17–75 (48.7)
C: 22–75 (49.0) | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone + pyridostigmine + placebo | 6 months | ① + ③ | Not mentioned | Yes |
| Ma 2013 [26] | China | Q: 36
C: 36 | Q: 2–12
C: 3–12 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone | 3 months | ① + ② + ③ | Not mentioned | No |
| Chen et al. 2013 [27] | China | Q: 34
C: 32 | Q: 20.8
C: 21.2 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone | 12 months | ① + ③ | Not mentioned | Yes |
| Xia 2013 [28] | China | Q: 30
C: 30 | 14–72 (34.6) | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone + pyridostigmine | 2 months | ① + ③ | Not mentioned | Yes |
| Shen 2014 [29] | China | Q: 31
C: 31 | 32–60 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: glucocorticoid | 1 month | ① + ③ | Not mentioned | No |
| Huang 2014 [30] | China | Q: 18
C: 18 | 18–60 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: pyridostigmine | 6 months | ① | Not mentioned | No |
| Shuang 2014 [31] | China | Q: 20
C: 18 | Q: 22–60
C: 20–59 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone + pyridostigmine + placebo | 2.5 months | ① + ③ | Not mentioned | Yes |
| Yuan and Rao 2015 [32] | China | Q: 20
C: 20 | Not reported | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: pyridostigmine | 2.25 months | ① | Not mentioned | Yes |
| Zu 2015 [33] | China | Q: 25
C: 25 | 13–66 (32.4) | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: prednisone | 2 months | ① + ③ | 1 month | Yes |
| Qi et al. 2015 [34] | China | Q: 107
C: 105 | 16–73 | Q: Qi-supplementing Formula + controls;
C: methylprednisolone + azathioprine | 18 months | ① + ② | Not mentioned | No |
|
